A phase feature is a capability that you enable on a specific phase of a work type. Instead of a behaviour being on for the whole work type, a phase feature switches it on only while a work item sits in the phase you choose.
For example, you can allow finance transactions to be recorded on an active phase but not on a draft phase, or mark a proceedings phase as the point at which a matter becomes litigated. The same work type can behave differently at each stage of its lifecycle.
A phase feature is always a combination of three things: the work type, the phase, and the feature. Clio Operate checks that combination and uses the result to show or hide widgets and pages, filter list views, apply the rules that decide what a work item can do, and trigger automatic actions such as spawning a related work item.
Some phase features are simple on or off switches. Others carry their own configuration, such as which approval model runs, which offer types are available, or which transitions a data table takes on success or failure. You can also use phase features to filter list views. A list view can be scoped to show only work items whose current phase has a given feature enabled, configured through the burger menu under Manage this list view.
Are phase features on by default?
A phase feature only takes effect on the phases where it is switched on, so it is always a deliberate setting rather than something that happens on its own. Whether a feature is already switched on depends on how the work type was built. Work types created from a starter or accelerator configuration usually have the relevant features enabled, while a work type built from scratch has none until you add them.
Phase features do not inherit down the hierarchy
Phase features do not inherit down the work-type hierarchy. A feature enabled on a phase in a parent work type is not carried onto the same phase in a child work type. Clio Operate checks each feature against the exact work type and phase, and does not fall back to the parent work type.
This is different from how phases themselves behave. When you add a phase to an inherited phase plan, that phase is added to the child work types as well. Enabling a feature on that phase is not. If a child work type needs the same phase feature as its parent, enable it again on the child.
Available phase features
The following phase features are available in Clio Operate. The set available on a work type depends on which global features are enabled and which features apply to that work type, and implementations can add their own, so an environment may show more.
Most phase features are a simple on or off switch. Some have additional configuration, where you set how the feature behaves on that phase. The Additional settings column shows what you configure.
A dash in the Global feature column means the feature does not sit under a global feature, and a dash in the Additional settings column means there is nothing more to configure.
| Phase feature | What it does | Global feature | Additional settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always show in phase | Keeps hidden and system tasks visible in worklists and search results while the work item is in this phase. | Always Show | — |
| Anti-Money Laundering matter configuration | Makes AML identity-verification checks available while the work item is in this phase, and controls which participant roles can start them. With no roles configured, all roles can. | CreditSafe | The participant roles allowed to start AML checks. Leave empty to allow all roles. |
| Approval Phase configuration | Starts an approval workflow when a work item enters this phase. You set which approval model runs and which transitions the item takes when approved or rejected. Inline approval is on by default. | Approvals | The approval model to run, the transitions to take when approved or rejected, whether inline approval is allowed, an optional message for approvers, and an optional transition when an approval is retracted. |
| Approval Work Type outcome configuration | Marks each outcome phase of an approval work type as either an approval (pass) or a rejection (fail), so Clio Operate knows what a completed approval represents. | Approvals | Whether the phase represents an approval (pass) or a rejection (fail). |
| Budgets Work Type Availability | Makes budgeting available for the work type and defines which budget structures apply. | Budgets | The budget structures that apply to the work type. |
| Bulk Complete Target | Identifies the phase that work items move to when they are completed in bulk from a list view. | — | — |
| Can Edit Document Generation Form | Lets users edit the document generation form while in this phase. Without it, the form is read-only. | — | — |
| Can Submit Time | Allows time to be recorded against the work item while it is in this phase. | — | — |
| Cancelled Phase | Identifies phases that represent a cancelled state, so reporting can leave them out of average lifecycle figures. | — | — |
| Cancelled/Complete Phases | Treats the phase as the end state for an appointment or key date, and removes items in this phase from synced Exchange/Outlook calendars and from calendar list views. | Exchange Calendar Sync | — |
| Case litigated when reaching | When a proceeding reaches this phase, sets the parent matter's litigated flag to true. | Litigation | — |
| Case Milestone Chronology | Adds an entry to the work item's history when it reaches this phase, for example "Milestone achieved: Won". | — | — |
| Channel send failed | Identifies the phase that represents a failed delivery attempt, so the delivery shows as failed. | — | — |
| Completion | Identifies the completion phase. Used on real estate matters. | — | — |
| Configure the phases for auto close | When a work item enters this phase, automatically closes its open child and descendant work items. | Auto Close Descendant Work Items | — |
| Configure the phases for Recording Posted Transactions | Marks the phase at which associated account transactions are set to Posted, finalising them in the ledger. | Chart of Accounts | — |
| Configure the phases for Recording Reverse Transactions | Marks the phase as a reversal point, setting associated account transactions to Reversed and triggering reversal handling. Valid only when coming from a posted phase. | Chart of Accounts | — |
| Configure the phases for Recording Wip Transactions | Marks the phase at which associated account transactions are set to work-in-progress, so they remain editable. | Chart of Accounts | — |
| Data Table Chronology | Adds an entry to the parent work item's history when a data table reaches this phase. | — | — |
| Data Table Phase Transition configuration | For data-table work items, defines the success and failure transitions taken automatically when an upload completes. Both transitions must be configured. | Data Table Uploads | The transition to take when a data table load succeeds, and the transition to take when it fails. |
| Delete Generated Documents | When a work item enters this phase, automatically deletes the documents that were generated for it. | — | — |
| Document Delivery - Channel send phase | Lets the delivery channel send automatically while in this phase, for example an e-signature request. | — | — |
| Document Delivery - Document Delivered | Identifies the phase that means the document has been delivered, so the delivery shows as sent. When every delivery task is in a delivered phase, the parent task moves on automatically. | — | — |
| Document Delivery - Generate Bundle | When a work item enters this phase, combines the related documents into a single PDF bundle for print-to-post. | — | — |
| Document Delivery - Regenerate Document | When a work item enters this phase, regenerates the document with its delivery tags, for example the print date, before it is sent. | — | — |
| Document delivery required | Blocks the transition into this phase until an active document delivery channel has a task in a sending or sent state. | Document Delivery | — |
| Document Expectation Chronology | Adds an entry to the parent work item's history when a document expectation reaches this phase. | — | — |
| Document expectation waiting phase | Identifies phases where a document is still awaited, so waiting documents sort to the top of the document expectations list. | — | — |
| Document Generation Chronology | Adds an entry to the work item's history when a document is generated. | — | — |
| Document refresh | Lets users manually refresh (regenerate) previously generated documents while a Prepare Document task is in this phase. Not available on the starting phase or where the template generates documents automatically. | Document Refresh | — |
| Filing Complete | Blocks the transition into this phase until all attached documents are filed or marked as not required. | — | — |
| Generate Document | Identifies the phases in the document-preparation workflow where a document is generated. | — | — |
| Ignore mandatory fields on transitioning to this phase | Lets a work item transition into this phase even when mandatory fields are not completed. The values entered are not saved. | — | — |
| Include In Reports | Includes work items in this phase in reporting, even when the phase is still open. | — | — |
| Invoice Chronology | Adds an entry to the invoice's history when it reaches this phase. | — | — |
| Invoice Closed Phase | Identifies the phase that represents a closed invoice. Used to prevent closure until the invoice is fully paid, and to locate the closed phase in invoice workflows. | Invoices | — |
| Invoice Payment Plan Phase configuration | Designates what each payment-plan phase represents (active, paused, lapsed or complete), which drives whether payments can be recorded and where the plan sits in its lifecycle. | Invoice Payment Plans | Which state the phase represents: active, paused, lapsed, or complete. |
| Legal Forms Phases | Maps eForm task phases to lifecycle stages (creating, in progress, completed, deleted), so form processing is independent of phase naming. | Legal Forms | Which lifecycle stage the phase represents: creating, in progress, completed, or deleted. |
| Litigation matter type configuration | Defines which proceeding types can be raised under a matter type, and controls by phase whether the raise and receive proceedings menu appears. | Litigation | The proceeding types that can be raised under the matter type. |
| Lock Fee Estimates | Locks the fee estimates on the work item so they cannot be edited while it is in this phase. | — | — |
| Manual Approval Submitted Phase | When a work item enters this phase, assigns the approval participants: the manual approver becomes the primary owner and the current user becomes the requestor. | — | — |
| Move instruction to this phase on matter spawn | When a matter is spawned from an instruction, moves the instruction itself to the phase that has this feature. | — | — |
| Offer Chronology | Adds an entry to the parent work item's history when an offer reaches this phase. | — | — |
| Offers made matter and proceeding configuration | Defines which "offer made" types are available on a matter or proceeding, and controls by phase whether offers can be recorded. | Offers | The "offer made" types available on the matter or proceeding. |
| Offers received matter and proceeding configuration | As above, for "offer received" types. | Offers | The "offer received" types available on the matter or proceeding. |
| Payment is being requested | When a payment request enters this phase, records the date it was requested. Also identifies payments that are out for payment. | — | — |
| Payment must have a transaction when transitioning to this phase | Blocks the transition into this phase until the payment request has at least one transaction. | — | — |
| Post Completion | Identifies the post-completion phase. Used on real estate matters. | — | — |
| Show in transaction log | Shows the payment in the finance transaction log even while its phase is still open. | — | — |
| Spawn a new matter from the sharedo | When a work item enters a phase with this feature, spawns a new matter from it. | — | — |
| Statement of Works Required | Blocks the transition into this instruction phase until a statement of work has been selected. | — | — |
| Task Milestone Chronology | Adds an entry to the parent work item's history when a child task reaches this phase. | — | — |
| Transition Instruction to Matter on Phase | Marks the instruction phase that spawns a matter. When an instruction enters this phase, Clio Operate creates the matter, links the two work items, and makes the instruction a child of the new matter. | Matter Spawning | — |
| Un-set litigated when reaching | The inverse of Case litigated when reaching: when a proceeding reaches this phase, clears the parent matter's litigated flag. | Litigation | — |
Example: configure an instruction phase plan to spawn a matter
In Clio Operate, an instruction represents a piece of work before you are engaged. Once an instruction is won, it spawns a matter, which becomes the active case. You configure this with the Transition Instruction to Matter on Phase feature, enabled on the instruction phase where the matter should be created.
When an instruction moves into that phase, Clio Operate creates the matter, links the two work items, and makes the instruction a child of the new matter.
Steps
- Modeller > Work Types.
- Open the instruction work type and select phase plans.
- Select the phase where the matter should spawn and Edit Phase.
- Open Manage Phase Features
- Enable the Spawn a new matter from the sharedo feature.
- Save the phase plan.
Enabling the feature tells Clio Operate to create the matter from this phase. When an instruction enters the phase, the matter is created and linked automatically. You can enable the feature on more than one instruction phase if a matter can be spawned from several entry points.